Temporarily out of stock

Foreshadowing our unseemly haste to fight for King and Country in 1914,
New Zealanders were enthusiastic supporters of the colonial war between Britain
and the Boers when it was declared in 1899. The country welcomed the chance
to prove itself and its loyalty to the British Empire on an international stage. Our
contribution was small – just 6500 troops sent to fight – but our response to
the conflict was on a grander scale. In an outpouring of patriotic sentiment, many
thousands followed the stories of the sieges of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith.
There was memorabilia everywhere, and it seemed as if everyone was either raising
funds or joining cadet corps, including many women and girls.
Little has been written of this important period in New Zealand’s history. This is
the first book to offer a finely grained analysis of the nation’s perceptions and
expectations of the war, Maori responses to the conflict, the effect of war-related
deaths, injuries and disease on the country, and its economic impact. It also
demonstrates that the building of our national identity through military engagement
began well before Gallipoli and the Western Front.

ISBN: 9780995140707
Author: ROBSON, NIGEL
Temporarily out of stock
Price: $55.00
Title: Our First Foreign War